Refrigerating device

ABSTRACT

A refrigeration appliance including a housing and a refrigerated inner area closable by a door. A carrier module in the housing including a control circuit the refrigerating capacity of the inner area according to a temperature measuring signal from the inner area. The carrier module also includes at least one control element for adjusting at least one operational parameter and/or a display element for displaying at least one operational parameter and at least one illuminating agent for illuminating the inner area.

The present invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, moreprecisely the structure of a housing for such an appliance.

Such a refrigeration appliance housing is conventionally constructedfrom an inner wall made of deep-drawn plastic and an outer wall, which,depending on the design of the appliance as an upright appliance or as abuilt-in appliance, can be constructed in different ways and whichtogether with the inside wall delimits a cavity filled with insulatingfoam material. The upper termination of the housing of an uprightappliance is formed by an element commonly designated as a table plate,which covers the upper side of the appliance, has a fixed, hard-wearingouter surface and is hollow inside. The inner cavity can be used tomount electronic parts therein, which control the function of therefrigeration appliance. These electronic components must be connectedelectrically to a plurality of structural groups of the appliance, e.g.to a temperature sensor arranged in the inner area, to a refrigeratingmachine for controlling its operation depending on the temperaturedetected by the temperature sensor, to operating elements and/or displayelements for adjusting or respectively displaying operational parametersof the refrigeration appliance, to inner area illumination, to a dooropening switch for detecting the opening of the door and for switchingon and off the inner area illumination depending on the status of thedoor. etc.

The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerationappliance, wherein the expense for the connections of the controlcircuit with diverse functional groups of the refrigerating appliance isminimised.

This task is solved by a refrigeration appliance having the features ofClaim 1.

By relocating all functional elements, to be arranged in the cool box ofthe refrigeration appliance not necessarily for reasons of temperaturefunction, such as the operating and power electronics, the mainappliance switch, the cool box illumination and the switches for thecool box illumination there is no need to install supply lines for thesefunctional elements through the insulating foam layer. The compact,integral arranging of these functional elements on the carrier moduleallows assembly of the modules in particular in time-saving large-scaleproduction, by which the overall manufacture of a refrigerationappliance is considerably simplified, because only the elementsnecessary for temperature control, such as temperature sensor, cool boxheating as so-called “winter switch”, are assigned to the cool room, andthus only electrical lines and the signal lines for these elements areto be laid in the insulating foam of the refrigeration appliance.

In addition, the error case of error diagnosis is clearly improved.

A compartment for the carrier module is preferably formed in a tableplate of the housing.

At least one pair of complementary pin-and-socket connectors should bearranged on the carrier module and on the compartment to at leastfurnish supply voltage for the control circuit mounted on the carriermodule, a measuring signal from a temperature sensor to the controlcircuit and/or a control signal from the control circuit to therefrigerating machine of the refrigeration appliance.

As a result of a first preferred embodiment the carrier module can beslid into the compartment, and the pin-and-socket connectors arearranged in a manner self-contacting during sliding in, e.g. in whichone pin-and-socket connector of the pair in each case is arranged solidwith the carrier module and the other solid on a rear wall of thecompartment, against which the carrier module is pressed when being slidin.

As a result of a second preferred embodiment the pin-and-socketconnector of the compartment is arranged on a mobile cable, and thecarrier module has a strain relief, to which the cable can be attached.Such a strain relief can be formed advantageously in the form of ameandering channel, in which the cable can be placed, preferablyclamped.

It is also appropriate that a free outer face of the carrier modulefaces an upper edge of the door, and that at least one window is formedin the free outer face, through which the inner area can be lit up bythe at least one illuminating agent mounted on the carrier module atleast when the door is open.

A glass pane is preferably arranged in the window to protect theilluminating agent.

This glass pane can be solid with the carrier module. The result thereofis that the carrier module must be separated from the refrigerationappliance for exchanging the illuminating agent, yet this effectivelyrepresents a security advantage as compared to conventionalrefrigeration appliances, in which the terminal contacts of theilluminating agent are under constant tension when the door is open andthus the risk cannot be excluded of a person coming into contact withlive components as an illuminating agent is being exchanged, while thisis not an issue with the carrier module removed from the appliance.

In this case it is preferred that the carrier module on an inside facebears a removable housing, which the illuminating agent covers and canbe removed for exchanging an illuminating agent.

A door-opening sensor for switching on and off the illuminating agent ispreferably likewise arranged on the carrier module.

By equipping the refrigeration device interior with tray-shaped coolgoods trays which can be withdrawn like a drawer from the cool room, incombination with the cool box illumination integrated in the traycompartment or respectively table plate by the carrier module, theresult for each of the cool goods compartments when being moved out isparticularly intensive lighting, in particular when the tray compartmentor respectively table plate and thus the carrier module integratedtherein with the cool box illumination protrudes opposite the appliancefront.

Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge from thefollowing description of embodiments with reference to the attachedfigures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through an inventive refrigerationappliance;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carrier module for the inventiverefrigeration appliance;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic section through the table plate of therefrigerating appliance;

FIG. 4 shows a section of FIG. 2 with attached cable;

FIG. 5 shows a horizontal section through a table plate according to asecond embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 shows a partial section through the carrier module at the levelof the illuminating agent housing.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through an inventive refrigerationappliance with a body 1 and a door 2 attached thereto, illustrated inthe open position. Both the body 1 and the door 2 have a double-shellconstruction with an inside wall 3 and an outer wall 4, tightlyenclosing a cavity 5 filled with insulating foam. The inner area 6 ofthe refrigerating appliance is divided by a plurality of compartmentfloors 7. Positioned in a recess of the rear lower region of the body 1open to the exterior is a compressor 8 of a refrigerating machine of therefrigeration appliance. Other components of the refrigerating machinesuch as an evaporator and a liquefier are arranged in conventionalfashion on the rear side of the inside wall 3 or respectively the outerwall 4 and are not illustrated in the figure.

An upper cover 9 of the body 1 is formed by a fixed work plate 10 andvertical flanks 11, which enclose the work plate on three of four sidesand support it on the upper side of the outer wall 4. The cover 9 andthe upper side of the outer wall 4 accordingly delimit a compartment 12,which is open to the front side of the appliance, to the right in thefigure. This compartment 12 is provided to accommodate therein a carriermodule 13 illustrated set back in the figure, which in the figure isillustrated in simplified fashion as a horizontal base plate 14 and anattached vertical screen 15. The screen 15 is such a size that, when thecarrier module 13 is mounted in the compartment 12, it blanks off theopen front side of the cover 9 fully and flush.

The leading edge of the work plate 10 projects a few centimetres overinside wall 3 and outer wall 4, so that when the door 2 is closed it isflush therewith. When the carrier module 13 of the compartment 12 ismounted, a rear region of the base plate 14 rests on the outer wall 4,while in a front region of the base plate 14 its underside forms a freeouter face, lying opposite the closed door 2 over a narrow gap.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the carrier module 13. The base plate 14is an injection-moulded article made of plastic, which is provided witha plurality of transverse walls or legs 16 to reinforce and anchordiverse electrical or respectively electronic components. The screen 15makes up a part separated from the base plate 14, which is mounted onthe latter e.g. by snap-locking.

A printed circuit board 17 is mounted on the base plate 14 in verticalorientation, parallel to the screen 15 and at a short distance from thelatter. This printed circuit board 17 bears, on its front side, in thefigure covered by a wall 18 formed on the base plate 14, a plurality ofswitches, controllers or the like, which allow a user to switch therefrigeration appliance on and off, to set a nominal temperature of theinner area 6, etc., as well as a row of light-emitting diodes, connectedvia optical fibres to display elements 19 anchored in the wall 18. Acontrol circuit 20 likewise attached to the printed circuit board 17,mainly on the rear side, is protected by a cover 21. The control circuit20 is connected to a temperature sensor in the inner area 6 forreceiving a temperature measuring signal, an den compressor 8 forswitching on and off by way of the temperature measuring signal andconnected to the switches, controllers and light-emitting diodes, andcontrols the latter according to a preset pattern, to display anoperating status of the refrigerating appliance.

A second cover 22 covers a light bulb, arranged over a window formed inthe base plate 14. The light bulb is switched on and off by adoor-opening sensor 23 in the form of a simple on-and-off switch, whichhas a switch arm, not shown in the figure, reaching out over theunderside of the base plate 14, which is in contact with the latter whenthe door 2 is closed and is switched on by it.

FIG. 2 also shows two pin-and-socket connectors 24, 25, which areattached to the rear side of the carrier module 13. The purpose ofpin-and-socket connectors such as these is e.g. to guide a supplyvoltage for the control circuit 20, to send on and off signals to aswitching relay of the compressor 8 or directly to the power supply ofthe compressor 8. In a refrigeration appliance with two temperatureranges a heating unit can be arranged on one of the two areas in amanner known per se; also, the latter can be switched or supplied viasuch a pin-and-socket connector 24,25.

FIG. 3 is a schematic horizontal section through the cover 9. Thecarrier module 13 and the pin-and-socket connector 24 are illustrated inoutline only. The cover 9 is hollow inside as far as the carrier module13. Coupled to the pin-and-socket connector 24 is a complementarypin-and-socket connector 26, forming the termination of a supply cable27. The supply cable 27 runs freely through the interior of the cover 9to a bevelled edge 28 on the rear side of the outer wall 4, and fromthere on the rear side downwards to the compressor 8. To prevent thelatter from being pulled out of the pin-and-socket connector 26 by apull on the part of the cable 27 running along the rear wall, the endsection of the cable 27 connected to the pin-and-socket connector isheld in a strain relief 29 of the carrier module 13.

As is evident from the comparison in FIGS. 2 and 4, the strain relief 29is formed by a rectangular chamber formed on the base plate 14, which isdivided by intersecting ribs 30 into four quarters and has inlet andoutlet slots 31 in each case adjacent to one of the ribs 30. FIG. 3shows the supply cable 27 pressed into the strain relief 29, whereby thecable is forced by the arrangement of the ribs 30 and the slots 31 to ameandering course with several opposite sharp bends. Because the upperedges of the outer walls of the chamber and of the ribs 30 make contactwith the underside of the work plate 10 when in the mounted state, thecable 27 cannot escape from the strain relief 29.

FIG. 5 shows a section similar to that in FIG. 3 in a second embodimentof the inventive refrigerating appliance. In comparison to FIG. 3 a rearwall 32 extends here obliquely through the interior of the inventivecover 9, and a pin-and-socket connector 26 complementary to thepin-and-socket connector 24 of the carrier module 13 is set firmly inthe rear wall 32 such that electrical contact between the pin-and-socketconnectors 24, 26 is made automatically when the carrier module 13 isinserted into the compartment 12 limited by the rear wall 32. In thisembodiment on the carrier module 13 there are no live parts, when thelatter is withdrawn from the compartment 12, so that it can be worked onwithout any danger. This is particularly effective if a defectiveilluminating agent of the inner area illumination integrated in thecarrier module 13 must be exchanged.

FIG. 6 shows a partial section through the carrier module 13 at thelevel of the cover 22. Set into a window 33 recessed in the base plate14 is a glass pane 34 made of glass or a temperature-resistant plastic.The glass pane 34 is stuck or attached in some other way to the insideface of the base plate 14. On its lower edge the cover 22 has lateralprojections 35, which engage in claws 36 formed behind on the base plate14. Through gripping the cover 22 by hand and compression theprojections 35 can be detached from the claws 36 and the cover can beraised along with a reflector 37 mounted in its interior, in order toexpose the illuminating agent, here an incandescent lamp 38. The latteris now conveniently accessible and can be exchanged.

The glass pane 34 is provided on its upper side with a sawtooth profileso as to deflect the light radiated by the incandescent lamp 38 from thevertical to the side, that is, to the right in the figure, into theinner area 6 of the refrigerating appliance.

The construction of the inner area illumination shown in FIG. 6 requiresthat for exchanging the illuminating agent first the carrier module 13is disassembled. Once this has happened the illuminating agent can beaccessed very easily and conveniently.

It is understood that as an alternative a construction is alsoconceivable, in which the glass pane 34 is removed for exchanging of theilluminating agent and a user must reach through the then open window 33to reach the illuminating agent.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a housing;said housing enclosing an inner area; said inner area enclosed by adoor; a carrier module located in said housing; and said carrier moduleincluding a control circuit for controlling the refrigerating capacityof the refrigeration appliance in said inner area depending on atemperature measuring signal related to the temperature in said innerarea, at least one operating element for at least one of adjusting anoperational parameter and a display element for displaying anoperational parameter of said refrigeration appliance and at least oneilluminating agent for illuminating at least some of said inner area.15. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 14, including acompartment for said carrier module formed in an upper cover of saidhousing.
 16. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 15,including said cover designed as a side or table plate fixed to thehousing exterior.
 17. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 15,including said carrier module and said compartment have at least a pairof electrical pin-and-socket connectors complementary to one another.18. The refrigeration appliance according to claim 17, including saidcarrier module can be inserted into said compartment and saidpin-and-socket connectors are arranged in a self-contacting manner whensaid carrier module is inserted into said compartment.
 19. Therefrigeration appliance according to claim 17, including saidpin-and-socket connectors of said compartment each are arranged on amobile cable and said carrier module includes a strain relief on whichsaid cable can be fastened.
 20. The refrigeration appliance according toclaim 19, including said strain relief is formed as a meandering channelin which said cable can be placed.
 21. The refrigeration applianceaccording to claim 15, including said carrier module has a free outerface facing an upper edge of said door and including at least one windowformed in said free outer face through which said inner area can be litup by said illuminating agent located in said carrier module.
 22. Therefrigeration appliance according to claim 21, including said window hasa glass pane.
 23. The refrigeration according to claim 22, includingsaid glass pane is fixed to said carrier module.
 24. The refrigerationappliance according to claim 21, including said carrier module bears aremovable housing, which covers said illuminating agent.
 25. Therefrigeration appliance as claimed according to claim 15, including adoor-opening sensor arranged on said carrier module.
 26. Therefrigeration appliance according to claim 15, including said inner areafitted with tray-shaped cool goods compartments, which can be withdrawnlike a drawer.
 27. A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a housing;said housing enclosing an inner area; said inner area enclosed by adoor; a compartment formed in an upper cover of said housing a carriermodule located in said housing compartment; said carrier moduleincluding a control circuit for controlling the refrigerating capacityof the refrigeration appliance in said inner area depending on atemperature measuring signal related to the temperature in said innerarea, at least one operating element for at least one of adjusting anoperational parameter and a display element for displaying anoperational parameter of said refrigeration appliance and at least oneilluminating agent for illuminating at least some of said inner area;and said carrier module including at least one window formed thereinthrough which said inner area can be lit up by said illuminating agent.